Orson Welles

 By Bruce Shawkey

One of the more interesting characters of the 20th century was Orson Welles.  From his "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938 to 1941's "Citizen Kane" pitching for Paul Masson wine, he was always pushing the envelope and re-defining popular culture.

His ads for Paul Masson wine from from 1978 to 1981 are a case in point. His signature line: "Paul Masson will sell no wine before its time” is classic. Legend has it he was Inebriated during the taping of some of the commercials due to his slurred speech and relaxed demeanor.

In any event, he was one cool dude in my book.